Out for Blood
by LavenderLou88
Summary: D/E & B/S. After 2x09. Damon & Elena are finally together. The Originals are hunting for Elena, the Salvatore brothers vow to protect her.  Holding onto any bit of normalcy they all attend another Mystic Falls ball, where a shocking discovery is made. R
1. Time to Party

CHAPTER 1

"Well, here we go." Damon sighed, taking Elena's hand as they made their way up the stairs of Lockwood Mansion. "Yet another, Mystic Falls ball…"

Elena smiled, admiring the twinkling light that hung from the windows of the mansion. "I think it's beautiful, all the lights and water fountain."

Damon glanced at Elena, her eyes glowing with excitement. That look reminded him why he attended such events. "You would." He smirked, as the approached the open large oak doors. "Oh look, and there's the wolf to greet us." He gritted his teeth, feeling Elena tugged on his hand.

Elena grinned nervously at Tyler, her cheeks growing warm knowing very well that Damon was glaring at him. "Hey Tyler."

"Elena…Damon." Tyler nodded slightly, his eyes following Damon closely.

"Please stay away from him…" Elena whispered, as Damon glanced back at Tyler. "The last thing we need is to add Tyler to the list of our problems right now. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to be normal for once."

"There's a werewolf greeting people as they walk in the door, Elena." Damon met with her smile, "That is not even close to normal."

"Do you remember the three rules?" Elena ignored him, waving at some of her friends across the room.

"If I say yes, are you still going to tell me anyway?" Damon scanned the growing crowd, looking for familiar faces – his brother in particular.

"Rule one…" Elena spoke through her smile, "No blood, drinking or otherwise."

Damon inhaled, "And two…"

"No booze." She shot him a playful glare, "Sober Damon is a good Damon, in theory anyway."

"You're really sucking the fun out of this, and there wasn't much to begin with." He pouted, stopping in the middle of the crowd, the music blaring around them.

Elena rolled her eyes, straightening the collar of his suit. "Finally, rule number three…" She leaned against him, inhaling his cologne. "No biting…" She mouthed, moving in slowly, until their lips met.

"Least no innocent bystanders anyway," He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Just try to have a good time...at least one of us should."

"Ooh there's Bonnie." Elena waved excitedly as Bonnie came down the stairs in a lavish gold gown. "I think that's your cue." She frowned, as Damon nodded, looking at her hands in his.

While Damon and Elena were not afraid to hide their love, they did so with the lack of support of many that they cared for. "You know it makes her uncomfortable."

"Right," Damon looked to Bonnie as she approached them. "I'll be around…" Damon took a few steps back, before letting Elena's hand fall from his. He was not like Elena in that aspect; he did not care what anyone thought about them together. He knew what he wanted, and like usual, no one was going to stand in his way. Elena looked at her hand where Damon's fingers had been. She knew Damon was hurt and becoming increasingly irritated by her desperate need to please her friends and family. She struggled to find a balance.

"Did I interrupt? I didn't mean to interrupt." Bonnie rambled, playing nervously with her fingers, "Because I can -." She pointed behind her.

"No, no…it's fine." Elena forced a half-smile, "Look at you…and that dress. You definitely came to impress. But for who?" She tapped her chin curiously.

In typical Damon fashion, Damon strutted across the crowded room as if he owned the place. He could sense the supernatural among him, now a common occurrence since the Originals started lurking in the shadows of Mystic Falls; the town had become a breeding ground for the paranormal.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stefan stood by the open bar, a drink already in hand.

"A little early to start throwing them back isn't it Stefan?" Damon came behind him, "That's very un-Stefan like."

"People change…out of the both of us, you should know that well." Stefan avoided his brother's eyes; while they were no longer at each other's throats, Stefan struggled to find the brotherly alliance that they once had.

"Bourbon, neat," Damon gave the bartender the nod, "Everyone can change, even Saint Stefan, believe it or not."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Elena's is around here somewhere…" Damon took a verbal shot at him.

Stefan narrowed his eyes, "Enough with the mind games Damon, just come out with it."

"Where's the fun in that?" He swirled the bourbon in his glass, "You can at least make it a challenge…I could use a good fight for once. I think you're losing your groove."

"I've lost a lot of things." Stefan told him flatly, "What's one more thing."

"On that bright side, that broodiness of yours is perfectly in tacked." Damon patted his brother on the shoulder, "You know…we live under the same roof Stefan, and even if we didn't, it's written all over your face."

Stefan huffed, "You got it all figured out huh?" He shook his head, "and I bet you're going to tell me what that is, aren't you?"

"It's something that even I know very well," Damon sipped his bourbon, "A good friend of mine actually, called guilt."


	2. Secrets to Hide

CHAPTER 2

Bonnie felt her cheeks grow warm, as they admired her gown, "Oh no, actually Caroline picked it out for me. So blame her, she made me wear it."

"It looks good on you, and more importantly you look happy…" Elena smiled sweetly, rubbing her best friend's arm. She missed their connection, the way they would talk to one another about everything. All of that seemed much of the past since the darkness had came into their lives.

"Speaking of Caroline, where is she I haven't seen her, have you?" Elena stood on her tiptoes slightly, hoping to see around the crowd that had formed in foyer

"She's around here somewhere, I just saw her. Probably following Tyler around, no doubt."

"Do I have to tie you down to get it out of you or are you going to make me guess?" Elena walked along side her, "Or will you just tell me, make it easier on the both of us?"

Bonnie shrugged, "I would tell you, but there's nothing – really. Not that I don't wish there was. It would sure beat being alone all the time." Bonnie sighed, watching Elena frown, "Sorry, that kind of came out of nowhere, didn't it?"

"You're not alone Bon…" Elena assured her, "You have Caroline, me, and even Jeremy whether you want to admit it or not. We've all got your back."

"I know, but it's different for me…"Bonnie looked away, "I mean sure I have you, and Caroline…but you both are busy with your own lives. It's not like what it used to be…all of us together."

"That doesn't mean we aren't here for you, Bonnie. Even if we are wrapped up in our own problems."

"It kinda does," Bonnie winced, "Caroline has Tyler, although very odd, she has him…and you…you have Damon…" She said cautiously, as Elena stared at her hands. "Not that it's necessarily a bad thing; I'm trying to be happy for you all…"

"You feel left out…" Elena felt the guilt rise in her chest.

"Yes…but not only for the reasons you think." Bonnie squeezed her hand, "I'm the only one Elena, the only witch that we know about in town," She whispered, "I'm on my own in this whole new world with Grams gone, and it can get scary."

"I understand…believe me, I do I—"

"But you don't…" Bonnie interrupted her, "Not you, not Caroline, no one. You have no idea what the feels like, how lonely you can get. You know what…never mind… I'm sorry I even brought it up. I'll see you later."

"Wait… Bonnie." Elena called out; watching Bonnie disappeared into the crowd. "I'm sorry." She mumbled to herself. Her shoulders slowly drooped realizing the happy balance that she thought she had between her friends and family really did not exist at all.

Stefan eyed the remnants of scotch in his glass, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't concern you," He warned, "And frankly, I don't think it's any of your business."

"You do what you want brother, the more the merrier I say." Damon held up his hands, "Just don't _make _it my problem, if you know what I'm saying."

Stefan felt his mouth part slightly, his focus now over Damon's shoulder. She was beautiful, Stefan thought; her dark hair flowed about the shoulders of her black cocktail dress and matching high heels.

She stood awkwardly, reluctant to introduce herself into the conversation. Just as she spun around, to run away, Damon turned to her. He noticed she was so uncomfortable that she did not even realize he was sipping on a glass of bourbon.

.

"Stefan." She forced a sympathetic smile, as he stared at her, unable to fathom the words. "I was just wondering if you wanted to dance…" She clung to Damon's arm, "But you know what, it can wait." She stepped away slightly, watching Damon sit his glass on the bar.

"Don't clean out the bar while I'm gone," Damon told his brother, who did not see the humor as he was about to walk off with the girl that he loved.

"I could have waited." Elena whispered, wide-eyed, as Damon led her by the hand onto the crowded dance floor. "I hope that I didn't interrupt whatever you two were talking about…so what _were_ you talking about?

"It's not important," He drew her close, "Least, nothing worth mentioning."

She draped her arms around his neck, now nose-to-nose with each other. "You know omission is almost as bad as lying. Like the bourbon you drank, but weren't going to tell me about."

"It was a risk I had to take," He smirked, gazing into her eyes, "and it wasn't like I wasn't going to tell you, you just caught me before I had the chance to confess."

"Well, you weren't the only one to screw up tonight. I made Bonnie run for the hills, and now I'm pretty sure she won't be speaking to for the rest of the night."

"Ahh, she'll come around. She may never be a fan of mine, but I have a feeling that she might be getting over her vampire hatred," He caressed her arm, sending goosebumps throughout her body. He could feel his brother's eyes burning into him, every time he touched her, but not even his guilt would stop him.

"And what makes you so sure? She despises vampires Damon, it's what she has been taught; I mean she almost killed you and Stefan with the Gilbert device."

"Take my word for it, I'm sure."

Elena raised her eyebrow, "Care to share? You apparently know something that I don't."

"Like I said not worth mentioning…" He looked away from her eyes that were scrutinizing him for answers.

"Come on Damon, spill. What do you know?" She drew his chin to her, "Did Stefan tell you something?"

"If you must know…" He glanced over at his brother, the back at Elena, "Let's just say, we aren't the only two up at all hours of the night." Damon hinted, watching Elena's eyes grow wide. "The most unlikely pair…" He finished.

"Stefan and Bonnie?" She mouthed, "They're together?"


	3. Whatever it Takes

CHAPTER 3

"Bonnie and Stefan?" Elena mouthed, kicking off her heels into the closet, "That makes the least sense out of everything that's happened." 

"There are worse things, Elena." Damon stripped off his jacket, "But don't get me wrong, it's definitely in the top five." He paused, the reality that his brother is sleeping with a witch.

"Well, that explains why Bonnie was so anxious tonight." She sighed, setting her jewelry on the nightstand. "She couldn't even look at me, Damon. I knew there was something that she wasn't telling me…I knew it."

"It's ironic, don't you think?" Damon came up behind her, brushing her long hair to the side, "She was so judgy of vampires, and now she's screwing one."

Elena leaned against him, his chin resting on her shoulder. He listened carefully to the rhythm of her pulse."Not _all _vampires, just you." She mumbled; Bonnie had every right to hate Damon, she thought, he had caused a lot of pain to all of them - and yet, Elena discovered more to Damon Salvatore than darkness alone.

"I'm thinking it's all just a cover," He let the strap of her dress fall, listening to the clang of her jewelry as she tossed them onto the nightstand. She was upset, that was clear, he thought, but why?

"It just doesn't make any sense. We all live in the boarding house, how could we not know they were sleeping together? How would they even find the time?" Elena ran her hand through his hair, as he left light kisses along her collarbone.

"Oh if you want it bad enough, you will make time." His lips touched her ear, as he caressed her thigh making her cocktail dress ride up slightly. She closed her eyes, as his careful touch slowly pulled her away from reality. While Damon did not always say the right things, his calculated touches spoke for him.

"Obviously, you aren't bothered by this..." Her eyes flashed open, as he slowly pulled away from her.

"No Elena, I'm really not." He sighed, before kissing her head, "I think that getting laid will help end Stefan's brooding, and at this point, he needs all the help he can get." He plopped down on the unmade bed, and began untying his boots.

"I think it's going to all blow up in all our faces." Elena slipped out of her cocktail dress, revealing her matching black lace bra and boy shorts. "Especially since Stefan really isn't the most stable right now. For all we know, he could be drinking blood again."

"Stefan...Mr. Unstable." Damon smirked at the thought, "Least it's not me, for once."

She shook her head, as she pulled out an over sized sweater from the drawer, "I'm glad you can find the humor in all this. He could really hurt Bonnie, just like he hurt that girl from the ball."

"On a serious note, I'm sure Bonnie can hold her own, although I'd never tell her that." Damon cringed at the thought, "She can make you want to cut your own head off with all that witchy-joo-joo."

She tugged the gray sweater over her head. "I don't know what to think about this..."

Damon rolled his eyes, as he unbuttoned his dress shirt, "I think, that you are thinking too much about it. Just let it go..."

"Apparently, I'm the _only _one that's thinking about it." She grumbled, shuffling into the adjoining bathroom.

"Who knows, it might just work in our favor." Damon added lightly.

"And how is that exactly?" Her voice echoing off the bathroom walls, "Because it spells disaster to me."

"If this thing with her and Stefan sticks, she might become less of a bitch." He said wide-eyed, leaning against the doorway, "...I mean, witch." He corrected, playfully rolling his eyes. "And we can actually be together without her judgy little eyes following our every move."

"Well, I don't see any double dates in our future," Elena glared at him, as she took out her toothbrush from her make-up bag.

Damon stepped away from the door, and undid his pants, "I honestly could care less, I personally enjoy pissing her off."

She wiped the make up from her cheeks, "You don't even act like you care..." She whispered to herself, knowing very well that he could hear her. She loved him yes, but did not deny that he could be a real ass.

"You sound like you care too much, especially for not being in love with him." Damon sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to retaliate against him. He enjoyed pushing her buttons; it lit a fire within her that not many people had the chance to witness.

"What is that suppose to mean?" She stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. Her brown eyes burned into his, she knew what he was implying, and evidently did not appreciate his assumption.

"You seem pretty upset about this whole Stefan and Bonnie thing." He leaned back, watching her shift her weight to the side, her attitude beginning to show through. "I think that says something if you ask me..."

"Bonnie is my best friend, I'm worried about her, I don't want her life to be consumed with darkness, like mine." Elena defended herself, as she set her toothbrush on the sink, "She has enough on her plate, as it is..."

Damon felt a twinge of hurt by her words. He knew very well that he was a part of that darkness that ruined her life. Something he would never forgive himself for, or Stefan. "Maybe it's not Bonnie who you are really worried about. Could it be that you are really upset because Stefan wants to sleep with Bonnie?"

The hurt was evident in her eyes, "You're serious? After everything we've been through?"

Damon shrugged, resting his elbows on his knees, "It wouldn't be the first time." 

She approached him, her anger fading, seeing the fear in Damon's eyes. He would never admit it, she thought, but the fear that she would leave was always there. "I'm not Katherine," She ran her fingers through his hair, now in between his legs, "It's not about Stefan..."

His icy blue eyes finally looked up at hers, "I want to believe you," He caressed her thigh, feeling her fingers follow his jaw. Elena felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her chest. She understood his pain, more than he understood it himself. While he had made many mistakes, Elena had made many of her own. She promised Damon everything she had once promised Stefan, that it would always be him. Now the tables had turned, and her word meant nothing.

"I will prove it to you." She rested her knee on his thigh, "Whatever it takes..." Their lips finally met as she pushed him onto the bed. 


	4. Play your Role

CHAPTER 4

Damon's eyes flashed open suddenly, as his cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. He could feel Elena's warmth, as she lay curled up beside him, her arm draped across his chest holding him close. As the cell phone continued to flash, urging him to answer, he regretfully slipped out of Elena's embrace.

"This better be good." He growled, leaning on the desk. He lacked the patience to deal with much of anything, not alone Caroline and her mouth.

"It's Stefan." Caroline got straight to the point, a hint of panic in her voice.

His head fell, knowing very well that his brother had found himself in yet another debacle. "Where is he?" Damon exhaled. He was probably the last person that Stefan would want to see, but Damon did not care. Even if they were in love with the same woman - they were still brothers.

"At the lake by the Lockwood mansion, and hurry, I don't think I can hold him here much longer."

"I'll be there in ten." He hung up the phone and slipped into his jeans. Once dressed, he stretched across the bed, watching Elena's chest rise and fall ever so slightly. She was so content, he thought now that her nightmares hand begun to fade. He could still feel the way she clutched to him, drenched in sweat some nights in fear that The Originals would find her, and drain her of her blood. As he gazed at her, he could still hear her pleading with him to make the nightmares end, but not even he could make them stop.

"Hey..." He whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I gotta leave for a bit..."

Her eyes flickered open slightly, "Damon..." She mumbled tiredly, "What time is it?"

"I'll be back, just stay here." He kissed her hand, before making his way to the door.

"I love you..." She uttered, before drifting back to sleep. Her words stopped him in his tracks; glancing back at her, he smiled softly, her hand stretched out where he had been.

*

Elena's eyes flickered open in the dim light. As she rolled over, she reached for Damon, but felt only the cold sheet. She sat up wearily, and looked about the empty room. "Damon?" Her voice cracked, as she tossed the mess of sheets off her bare legs.

Where was he, she thought? She held her arms and snuggled into her over sized sweater, her attention turned to the floor. His jeans and boots were gone, she noticed. Damon was never the type to sleep during the night, she reminded herself, although it was odd that he would leave her alone. The Originals were still hunting for her, nowhere was safe.

She picked up her cell phone from the desk, _no calls_, she read - he could have at least left a message she grumbled to herself. Dialing his number, she ran her hands through her hair as the constant rings only echoed in her ear. "Come on Damon...pick up, pick up." Suddenly, her body grew warm as her heart began to race.

No answer.

Damon came across the pond; Caroline sat on the edge, Stefan nowhere in sight. "Great." He grumbled to himself; "Where the hell is Stefan?" He asked, meeting with Caroline's sympathetic eyes.

"I'm sorry." She pouted, bringing her legs tightly to her chest. Suddenly, Stefan hit the ground with a hard thud, as Elijah walked up slowly behind him.

Damon clenched his jaw, as Elijah glared at him. "I don't think we've ever met, least not on a name-to-name basis of course, you did try to kill me."

"Apparently, not hard enough."

"You young vampires have no knowledge of history. If you did, you would know that in order to kill an elder, you must sever the head." He dragged his finger across his neck, "Your antic only proved to piss me off."

"I will keep that in mind next time."

"You are assuming that there will be a next time." Elijah's voice ran cold as ice, as dug his foot into Stefan's shoulders, driving his head further into the ground. "You may have caught me by surprise, but you and your brother will not be an issue any longer."

"How about we work out our problems then," Damon smirked. In a flash, he attempted to spear Elijah to the ground but was met by his hand and thrown the full length of the pond.

"Damon." Caroline screamed, as Damon slowly tried to get up from the ground. She met with Elijah's dangerous eyes.

"Run...Caroline..." Stefan winced, still beneath Elijah's hold. She glanced nervously at Damon, then back at Stefan. "Go." He yelled, as she clawed at the ground before disappearing into a blur of color.

"Yes, Caroline, flee," Elijah, sung, "You have served your purpose."

"Alright." Damon dusted himself off, "Now that..." He waived his finger at Elijah, "That pissed me off..."

"You have chosen this result Salvatore." Elijah went on, "You and your brother should have handed the girl over to us. But you did not therefore we will show no mercy."

"Us…we...All I see is you," Damon mocked, now back on his feet, "Where the hell are these people? Where are the Originals?"

"Oh you don't have to worry, they will find you in due time." He loosened his grip on Stefan, allowing him to flash to his feet. "But until then..." He nodded politely, before heading back towards the woods.

Damon rushed him, and Elijah turn around swiftly, "That's it?" Damon clenched his jaw, now nose-to-nose with Elijah.

"Damon..." Stefan called out, still hunched over from the brutal attack.

"I won't play your games, and you can tell that to the assholes you work for. I will cut your head off and serve it on a platter before I ever let you have her." Damon's eyes burned into Elijah, as he smirked at him.

"Tsk, Tsk, Damon...this not about you," He shook his head, "None of this is about either of you...don't you realize that?" He laughed, "When you finally do...we will already have her."

Suddenly, the reality swept over Damon as Elijah disappeared into the woods. He felt his entire body become paralyzed with incomprehensible rage.

"Elena." Stefan gasped. 


End file.
